Jaqueline Park

Advantages: Well-written, researched, sheds light on a fascinating period of history
Disadvantages: A tad unbelievable at times, long

...The Secret Life of Grazia dei Rossi is a work ten years in the making, and represents meticulous historical research. Inspired by a two real letters between Isabella d'Este and a young Jewish girl that hinted of a romance between this girl and a Christian nobleman (the letters encourage the girl's conversion to Christianity), Park creates her own heroine, a Jewess living during the Italian Renaissance named Grazia dei Rossi, daughter of a banker. Grazia is, as many female historical literary personas are, a woman ahead of her time and in many respects stuck in the wrong era, where her love and her freedom are constrained by the faith she is born into, and the faith she ultimately chooses to continue practicing. Yet she is never too modern, which is sometimes a problem in other works. She is intelligent and feisty, but she is also... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Entertaining
Disadvantages: Not yet in paperback

...Jaqueline Wilson has done it again. I am a school librarian and am inundated for requests to reserve this book as it is being recommended by peers. The reaction to this book is that it covers all emotions, it takes the reader on a journey through tears, contentment and side splitting humour while instigating a morality which appeals to young readers. One of my pupils said it made her cry first with sadness then with laughter. The cover is bright and tempting although I feel the book is aimed solely at girl readers. Jaqueline Wilson is a prolific writer and you wonder how she can maintain her creativeness but she seems to mange time after time. I would say that among my girl pupils I have more requests for Jaqueline Wilson than for any other author. Keep up the good work!... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: REALLY GOOD CAUSE IT'S ABOUT NORMAL TEENAGE PROBLEMS
Disadvantages: NONE!

...This is bye far one of my fave books, it's the first book I've ever read that really does talk about normal teenage problems.I truely love a lot of Jaqueline Wilsons books but I'd say that this is my faveourite.The story line is very well writen as it is about three girls that are having alot of relationship and school problems.I would recomend this book to many many young girls cause I think that most girls would enjoy it throgh out. I would absolutely rude this book again as I also enjoyed it through out as I believe that most girls would. Personally the characters of the book are were very creatively thought of as are most of Jaqueline Wilsons charecters from each of her many books. The readability of this book is totally addictive, as soon as you start you can't put it down. I would deffinetlly recomend this book to absolutely... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: A girly film!
Disadvantages: not good if you dont like girly films !!

...This fantastic book by jaqueline wilson is highly recomended and is a fantastic book!!! Thw story is about 2 girls called Gemma and her best friend Alice who are allways together and never sepeate from eachother. They are always together and do everything together they even share there toys with eachother. When ..... Alice has to move away to Scotland and everything goes wrong and they run away..... will they ever come back so Alice can move away? Read it is a fantastic book because it is a girly book and i really enjoyed it. Alice is a very girly character and does her hair nice and enjoys looking good, however Gemma is a tom boy completely different!! They enjoy different things and wear different clothes but still seem to get along very well !!! I think Jaqueline Wilson is a fantastic author and has written this book very well... Read review

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